Separator



I March l0, 1931. e.. w. MCFARLANE, JR 1,795,958

SEPARATOR e "i 16 j 1i4 af 20 W I .1 |w IL 5 QJ lng/ff INVENTOR Mm u; l y BY mi? ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 11), 1931 masgee erster.

GEORGE w. MCFARLANE, JR., or LUFKIN, TEXAS snranaron YAppncaumi fue@ February s, 1930. serial No. 426,993.

This invention relates to a continuous flow centrifugal separator designed and adapted to separate liquids having different specific gravities. Y l

Some of the objects of the present invention are:` to provide a separator of the indicated character which enables'the movement ofthe liquids at higher velocities with safety; toenable changes in the separating ratio while the separator is in operation; and. to

enable Vthe' slip of thev liquid between the paddle wheel and its housing as an aid in breaking' down emulsions and colloids.

Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in the particular provision, construction and operation of the parts hereinafter described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which lFigure 1 is a central vertical section through the separator' and embodying the features of the invention ;y l

f Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectionalk plan` view, the section being taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and a portion of the distributing tures of the/separator. y

Referring now more particularlyvto the drawing it will be apparent that the separator consists oftwo principal units, a staa rotatable unit 11 in the form of a wheel which is mounted for rotation within the housing. The housing 10 consists of parts 12, 13 and 14. The part 12 is secured as at 15 to the part 18, and the part 14 is secured as at 16 to the part 13. The part 18 is of hollow construction in order to form a circular chamber 17 in conjunction with the parts 12 and 14 to receive therein the wheel 11. This wheel 11 consists of parts 18, 19 and 20. The part 18 is in the formfof a distributing disk provided with a central section I21 in the shape of a frustum of a cone having an opening 22 therein which communicates with a circular series of ducts or apertures 28. The part 19 is in the form of a separating disk having two sets of radial paddles 24 and 25 on its peripheral or circumferential edge. The disk 18 is equal in diameter to the circle d isk being broken away to show certain feaf tionary unit 10 in the form of a housing, and

described bythe outer edges of the paddles 24 and 25; The part 20 is in the form of a spreader disk and has a central enlarged circular section 26 provided witha circumferential series of ducts or apertures 27. The parts 18, 19 and 2() are bored to receivea shaft 28. The shaft is, provided with a fiXed 'collar l29 threaded as at 8O to receive a nut 31.

' The vparts 18, 19 and 20 are securely clamped together between thecollar 29'and the nut 31. The oppositek ends of the shaft 28 are mounted for rotation respectively in bearings 32 and 38 carried by the parts 12 and 14of the housing 10. The collar`v29 rests in contact with the bearing 33 to maintain the wheelll in vprolnar position within the housing 10 for free 'rotational movement.y It will be apparent that the spreader disk 20`is larger in diameter' than the circle described by the outer edges of the paddles25, yto present a marginal edge 34 on the disk20 which is disposed between a depending flange 35 integral with thepart 13 ofthe housing and the part 2O thereof. It willralso be apparent that the wheel. 10 in, its entirety is smaller'than the space presented by the chamber k17 in which the wheel 11 rotates, thereby making it possible to rotate the wheel at a rapid rate of speed inorde'r that the liquids may be moved at a .high velocity. The shaft 28 may befdriven in any suitable manner. .Y

The'part12of the housing 10 has anintake 36 at ornear the center thereof which leads downwardly directly over the opening 22 in the disk 18. The part 18 of the housing has an outlet 37 at the perimeter of the wheel 11 slightly above the disk 2O of the wheel. The

voutlet 87 ycommunicates with an annular space defined by the marginal edge 34 of the disk 2O and the depending flange 35, the

vlower edge vof the latter being spaced from the upper surface of said marginal edge, 84 to allow liquid to flow from the chamber 17 through the outlet 87. The part 14 of the housing has an outlet 88 between the perimeter and the center of the wheel 11. The outlet 37 has a control valve 89, and the outlet 88 has a control valve 40.

'1 The'operation of the separator is as folows.:

The liquid on entering the housing 10 Cro Eff)

through the intake 36 is distributed by the disk 18 between the disk 1S and the disk 19 and moves outwardly until it passes the circumferential edge of the disk 19. It is then acted on by the. paddles 24 in conjunction with the disk 18 which separates the liquid into streams which flow downwardly to the action of the paddles 25 in conjunction with the disk 20, the latter serving to spread the liquid. The wheel parts cause a cleavage of liquid of relatively heavy specific gravity which passes from the top of the disk 2O by centrifugal force through the outlet 37, and also cause a cleavage of liquid of relatively lighter specific gravity to flow through the apertures 27 in the disk section 26 into the outlet 3S. rilhe valves 39and l() may be manipulated in such a. manner that the liquid may be separated in any ratio desired while the separator is in operation.

Claims: 1. In a separator of the class described, the combination of a stationary casing provided with a liquid inlet at the top thereof, and outlets which are disposed at relatively different levels, and a rotor which rotates within said casing on a vertical axis, said rotor comprising an upper liquid distributing part, an intermediate liquid separating part smaller than the ,distributingv part, and a lower liquid spreading part larger than the separating part, to cause a cleavage of liquid of relatively heavy specific gravity to vflow through the uppermost outlet and a cleavage of liquid of relatively light speciiic gravity to liow through the lowermost outlet.

2. In a separator of the class described, the combination of a stationary casing provided with a liquid inlet at the top thereof, and outlets which are disposedvat relatively different levels, and a rotor which rotates within said casing on a vertical axis, said rotor comprising an upper part having al series of apertures therein for distributing` the liquid as it enters the casing from the inlet, an intermediate part adapted to separate the liquid after it passes through said apertures, and a lower part adapted to spread the liquid coming from said intermediate part, so as to cause a cleavage of liquid of relatively heavy specific gravity to flow through the uppermost outlet and a cleavage of liquid of relatively light specific gravity to flow through the lowermost outlet.

3. In a separator of the class described, the combination of a stationary easing provided with a. liquid inlet at the top thereof, and outlets which. are disposed at relatively different levels, and a rotor which rotates within Said casing on a vertical axis, said rotor comprising an upperpart having a series of apertures therein for distributing the liquid as it enters the easing from the inlet, an interiediate disk having upper and lower sets of radial paddles on the periphery thereof', and

a lower part adapted to sparead the liquid coming from said intermediate part, so as to cause a cleavage of liquid of relatively heavy specilic gravity to flow/through the uppermost outlet and a cleavage of liquid of relatively light specific gravity to flow through the lowermost outlet.

4. In a separator of the class described, the combination of a stationary casing provided with a liquid inlet at the top thereof, and outlets which are disposed at relatively different levels, and a. rotor which rotates within said easing on a vertical axis, said rotor comprising` an upper liquid distributing part, an intermediate liquid separating part, and a. lower liquid spreading part, to cause a cleavage of liquid of relatively heavy specific gravity to 'flow through the uppermost outlet and a cleavage of liquid of relatively light specific gravit-y to flow through the lowermost outlet, and a control device operatively connected with each of said outlets, for the purpose of controlling the flow of liquid therethrough.

5. In a separator of the class described, the combination of a stationary casing provided with a liquid inlet at the top thereof, and outlets which are disposed at relatively different levels, and a rotor which rotates within said casing on a vertical axis, said rotor comprising three disks arranged in superposed spaced relation, there being'an upper disk having apertures therein, an intermediate disk having radial paddles on the periphery thereof, and a lower disk having apertures therein, whereby Vthe liquid on entering' the easing through said inlet will be distributed bythe apertures in the upper disk between the latter and the intermediate disk, separated by said paddles, spread by the lower disk and-some of the liquid passing through the apertures in the lower disk, to cause a cleavage of liquid of relatively heavy specific gravity to flow through the uppermost outlet and a cleavage of relatively light specific gravity to flow through the lowerm ost outlet.

GEORGE 1V. MCFARLANE, JR. 

